Various medical instruments may be used in connection with an endoscope for performing a number of operations at a site deep within a patient's body cavity. One such instrument, a biopsy forceps device, samples tissue from a body cavity with minimal intervention and discomfort to patients. Typically, a biopsy forceps device, like other endoscopic instruments, has a long flexible tubular member (a catheter) for insertion into a lumen of an endoscope. The tubular member is sufficiently long and flexible to follow a long, winding path of the body cavity. For example, the elongate member may be 240 cm long or longer. An end effector assembly, such as a biopsy forceps assembly, is attached at a distal end of the tubular member, and a handle is attached at a proximal end of the tubular member. The handle may have an elongate portion and spool portion disposed around the elongate portion configured to move longitudinally relative to the elongate portion. An elongate mechanism, such as pull wires, extends through the tubular member to connect the end effector assembly and a portion of the handle, such as the spool. The pull wires may also be connected to the portion of the handle, such as the spool, via a hypotube. Longitudinal movement of the spool relative to the elongate portion of the handle causes the elongate mechanism to move longitudinally in the tubular member, which in turn causes the actuation of the end effector assembly.
The long flexible tubular member and end effector assembly are packaged, contained, protected, and/or disposed of in a variety of ways. For example, the long flexible tubular member can be looped or coiled so that it is more compact, and then tied by wrapping the distal most portion (a few inches thereof) around the coils or loops. In another example, a cap may be placed on the end effector assembly both to protect the end effector assembly and prevent it from getting caught on an external object or surface.
One problem with these arrangements, however, is that unraveling the device can be cumbersome and time consuming, and many times the tubular member becomes twisted and intertwined. Another problem is that the user may forget to remove the cap from the end effector assembly. As a result, the end effector assembly with the cap is advanced into the working channel of the endoscope, and the protective cap may come off and become lodged in the endoscope, rendering the endoscope unusable. For at least these reasons, other devices and methods for packaging, containing, protecting, and disposing of long flexible tubular members and end effector assemblies are desired.